Consensus on the plan to Run Driverless Pod Taxis in Dehradun on the Lines of Singapore

• 14 Apr 2023

Why in News?

On April 12, 2023, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary S.S. Sandhu said that after Haridwar district, Dehradun will now be the second city in the state where preparations are on to run pod taxis. Here on the lines of Singapore (under Personal Rapid Transit Transport-PRT), a plan has been agreed to run driverless pod taxis.

Key Points

• In its first phase, as a pilot project, pod taxis will be operated on a six km long route from Panditwari to the railway station. Earlier there was a plan to run a ropeway on this route.
• Uttarakhand Metro Rail Corporation described the use of PRT as useful for such areas of the city where Neo Metro cannot run. PRT system of traffic will be implemented in Doon to get rid of traffic jams and strengthen public transport.
• Under this, pod taxis or vehicles with a capacity of 4-6 passengers will operate on a specially built guideway network.
• It is known that PRT is a type of Automated Guideway Transit (AGT). It is suitable for individual or small group travel. This system is very cheap and its cost is very less as compared to metro, rapid trains.
• It is to be noted that Personal Rapid Transport (PRT) or Pod Taxis are fully automated. It is the size of a car and runs on a steel track. There is no need for a driver to run this taxi. Through this, three to six passengers can be taken at a time.
• The driverless car running under PRT will not run on the road but on the structure built on the column. It will automatically reach the passengers at the push of a button. It is the most modern transport system in the world.
• It is noteworthy that the first pod taxi in the world was run in the year 1970 at the University of Virginia.
• With the implementation of PRT, there will be reduction in the number of vehicles in the city, smart transport service, relief from congestion & reduction in pollution, easy availability and affordable transport service will be available.